A productive, efficient and sustainable transport and logistics industry is vital for the economic wellbeing of Australia.
The establishment of the VTA Academy – a joint initiative between the Victorian Transport Association (VTA) and Mint Group – will help to provide transport and logistics companies with tailored training and labour solutions.
Launched in March this year, the Academy will assist companies to recruit, train, develop and retain their workforce, and deliver integrated workforce solutions and accredited training in Australia and overseas.
VTA deputy CEO, Neil Chambers said that while the transport and logistics industry is focused on productivity and efficiency, at the end of the day, it is about having and retaining the right people who can deliver and meet industry challenges.
"Transport and logistics activities account for close to 15% of economic activity in Australia, and most industries rely on transport and logistics to underpin their own productivity and viability," Chambers said.
"Sure, we deal with heavy vehicles – there are over 600,000 heavy freight vehicles registered in Australia – as well as ships, airplanes, trains and large warehouse capacities. But at the end of the day, the transport and logistics industry is a people business operating in a complex and demanding operational environment.
"Having the right skilled staff, in the right place, at the right time is a constant challenge for the industry," he said.
According to Chambers, the rate ageing of the industry’s workforce is of real concern. For instance, he said, the current average age of truck drivers is at least 45 years, and older for other sectors, such as linehaul, with almost half of existing truck drivers forecast to be at retirement age by 2026. Such figures suggest that building a solid skills base for the future is necessary and something which companies need to start looking at.
"We’ve got to grow the pool of skilled labour available to meet not only the levels of staff attrition facing us, but to meet the growth demand from the increasing freight task," he said.
"The Academy is designed to implement labour and training programs to help facilitate this required market and labour growth, while delivering the right skills sets."
Image: The VTA Academy was launched at Crown casino, Melbourne, Victoria, on 6 March 2012. Pictured (L-R): VTA Academy GM, Kevin Halpin; VTA President and Freestone’s Transport, Paul Freestone; VTA deputy CEO, Neil Chambers; VTA Deputy CEO; Minister for Higher Education and Skills, Peter Hall; VTA CEO Philip Lovel; Mint Group CEO Tony Fritsche; and Mint Group MD Michael Arthur.